Circular knit fabric with raised areas



Feb. 10, 1959 C, DAVIS, JR, ETAL 2,872,800

CIRCULAR KNIT FABRIC WITH RAISED AREAS Filed Feb. 4, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 LYSANDER C. DAv\e ,Jr2. and JAMES W. RIcHARDsoN,

IN VENTORS z z EY hmm El 57'- 2 v y 4 ATTORNEYS Feb. l0, 1959 L. c. DAvls, JR., ETAL 2,872,800

CIRCULAR KNIT FABRIC WITH RAISED AREAS FildFeb. 4. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 LYS/ANDER C. Dmnsj.. and JAMES W. mHARDsoN BY XM2 ATTORNEYS Fly- INVENTORSIv Feb. 10, 1959 C, DAVlS, JR, ET AL 2,872,800

CIRCULAR KNIT FABRIC WITH RAISED AREAS Filed Feb. 4, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheei 3 LYsANDEsz, C. DAv\s,Je. and JAMES w. RICHARDSON ATTORNEYS El g'- 5 1N VENTORS;

United States Patent rce CIRCULAR KNIT FABRIC WITH RAISED AREAS Lysander C. Davis, Jr., and James W. Richardson, Cleveland, Tenn., assignors to 'Charleston Hosiery Processing Company, Inc., Cleveland, Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application February 4, 1958, Serial No. 713,243

6 Claims. (Cl. 66--172) This invention relates to knitted fabrics and it is an object of this invention to provide a knitted fabric and method of making the same in which the body of the fabric is knit from a relatively hard finished yarn of normal twist and texture and raised ornamental areas are formed in the fabric from a bulk effect yarn wherein tuck or hold stitches are utilized to produce the raised ornamentation.

It is another object of this invention to provide a circular rib knit fabric and method of making the same in which spaced areas of the fabric are knit from body yarn having normal retractile characteristics, such as cotton and various synthetic yarns, with intervening raised areas knit from a low twist, soft and bulky yarn, with the bulky yarn being knit at the outwardly facing stitches only and being floated in those wales in which the inwardly facing stitches appear in the body of the fabric. Hold or tuck stitches are formed in those wales between the outwardly facing stitches and extend from adjacent the initial course to a point adjacent the final course in each of the raised areas. The bulk yarn may also-be knit in all the wales in one or two courses preceding and succeeding the courses in which the hold stitches are present. A particularly aesthetic fabric includes spaced annular raised areas of the character described.

Some yof the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ankle sock having a two by two rib knit top portion embodying the novel fabric;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 2--2 in Figure 1 showing how the raised areas protrude from the face of the base fabric;

Figure 3 is an elevation of another form of ankle sock in which the cuff has been turned down and also embodying the novel construction in a Ione by one rib knit fabric;

Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged elevation looking at the inside of a piece of two by two rib knit fabric embodying the novel raised ornamental construction to produce fabric such as that shown in Figure l, for example;

Figure 5 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view showing, in perspective, the novel raised ornamental areas embodied in a one by one rib knit fabric, and looking at the inner face of the fabric.

Heretofore, various attempts have been made to produce a knit fabric having spaced ornamental raised areas or welt portions wherein the same type of yarn was used in the ornamental areas as was used in the adjacent plain areas. Such attempts have included knitting the yarn in all the wales in the plain areas and forming pattern or ornamental areas by knitting the yarn with certain spaced needles and forming tuck stitches with intervening needles while floating the yarn across the tuck stitch loops. The oating of the yarn acrossthe tuck stitch loops results in less yarn being present in each course embraced by the tuck stitch loops than is present in each coursethe u invention.

2,872,800 Patented Feb. 10, 1959 adjacent areas of p lain knit fabric, with a consequent contraction of the courses embraced by the tuck stitch loops during and after knitting. Thus, the entire top or other patterned portion of fabric had to be knit loosely or oversize, with elastic yarn laid in certain courses, to contract the fabric to normal size.

The raised effect has been further limited due to the same shrinkage occurring in all the courses throughout both the ornamental and plain knit areas during subsequent nishing 1of the fabric. Also, it has been found that, when the same type of yarn is used to form the stitches in the plain or body areas as is Vused in forming the stitches in the ornamental area, especially on machines having dial and cylinder needles (ribbers) or on double cylinder Links & Links machines, the distortion caused in the stitches by the contraction of the fabric tightens the loops around the needles and interferes with the shedding of the stitches from the needles during the forming of subsequent stitches. Thus, this has made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to produce a knit fabric having spaced, ornamental, distinctly raised areas therein and has made it extremely diicult to economically produce a quality fabric in which ornamental areas were formed by knitting and tucking in alternation.

In order to produce a knit fabric having spaced ornamental raised areas therein with intervening plain knit or plain rib knit areas, we have discovered that the difficulties and defects encountered heretofore, as above noted, are obviated by knitting walewise spaced stitches or groups of stitches in the ornamental areas from a relatively low twist bulk yarn or textured yarn having a softer hand and feel than the yarn employed in knitting the plain or plain rib areas and wherein the bulk yarn has lesser elasticity or a lesser` tendency to contract during and after knitting than the yarn employed in the body or plain knit areas of the fabric, although inelastic yarns may be used throughout the knitting of the fabric. Although not limited thereto, it has been found that nylon m-ultililament yarns processed as set forth in U, S. Patent Nos. 2,575,839; 2,734,228 and 2,760,252, and which is known as Ban-Lon yarn, and so-called Saaba yarn have the desired bulk or texture and non-contracting characteristics for producing the fabric according to the present Further details as to the processes involved in making such bulk yarns will appear hereinafter.

In Figures 1 and 3, the fabric is shown as being a circularly knit rib fabric although it is contemplated that the principles of the present invention are also applicable having a cylinder and a dial and the terminal loops in the I nal course thereof transferred to the needles of another machine for knitting a ring heel 11, heel pocket 12, foot 13 and toe pocket 14. Of course, the entire stocking shown in Figure l may also be knit on a same circularly knitting machine equipped with a dial.

The stocking shown in Figure 3 also comprises an ankle or cuff portion broadly designated at 10a which is also of ribbed construction, such as a one by one rib. The cuff portion 10a of the stocking shown in Figure 3 is turned down over the lower portion thereof and, in order that the raised areas, to be later described, face outwardly when the cuff 10a is turned downwardly as `shown in Figure 3, the cuff 10a is preferably made on a ribber or a conventional dial-and-cylinder or links and links machine, and then placed opposite side out on the needles of another or the` same machine for knitting,

In this instance, the novel fabric construction is embodied in the cuff portions and 10a of the stockings shown in Figures l and 2, which are exemplary of many different types of fabrics which may be made according to the present method. In the fabric in the leg or cuff portion 10 of Figure 1, plain knit two by two ribs areas or body areas 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 are knit in alternation and intervening raised areas 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 are knit from a relatively bulky or soft textured yarn which is knit only in the Wales corersponding to the outwardly facing stitches of the plain or body areas with the yarn being floated across those Wales corresponding to those in which the inwardly facing stitches of the plain or body areas appear.

In Figure 4, a portion of two by two rib knit fabric is shown which is representative of a portion of the fabric shown in Figure l in the leg 10 of the stocking shown in Figure 1, in which appear portions of the annular raised areas 16 and 18 and the intervening plain areas 17 and 19. In Figure 4, the body yarn is indicated at B and the eect or bulk yarn is indicated at E, in each instance. The cylinder wales in the section of fabric shown in Figure 4 are indicated at N-1, N-Z, N-3 and N-4, and the intervening dial wales are indicated at D-1, D-Z, D-3 and D-4, with the courses of areas 17 and 18 being indicated at C-1 through C-17. It is apparent that the other corresponding areas are knit in the manner of areas 17 and 18.

Now, as heretofore stated, the body or plain rib knit areas are knit from a regular yarn B, to the extent that it has normal characteristics of texture, twist and stretchability or contractibility, while the yarn E employed in the ornamental areas has very little, if any, twist and a bulkiness or soft texture substantially exceeding that of the body yarn B, and also has a substantially less retractile capacity than that of the body yarn.

The final true rib course C-S of the plain or body area 17 in Figure 4 is knit from the body yarn B on all the dial and cylinder needles. The tuck course C6 is then formed in which all the needles take the body yarn and draw stitches therewith, but the dial needles are withdrawn or retracted to the tuck position so that stitches are subsequently formed on the cylinder needles only in the Wales N-1 through N-4. After the tuck course is formed, or at the end thereof, the effect yarn E is introduced and knit with the body yarn B on a few cylinder needles and the body yarn B is then withdrawn, or the body yarn and effect yarn are tied together. The effect yarn E may be introduced in one or two courses, such as course C-4 or C-S, in advance of the tuck course, and the effect yarn E may also be withdrawn in a course or two subsequent to the drawing of stitches through the hold stitches, without departing from. the spirit of the invention.

While the dial needles are withdrawn, they retain the loops thereon in wales D-1 through D4, and in alternate pairs of dial wales around the fabric, as the course C-7 and succeeding courses C-S through C-17 are knit solely from the bulk effect yarn E on the cylinder needles only. The eect yarn is under a minimum of tension during knitting. It is apaprent that oats F are formed from the effect yarn E which extend between adjacent cylinder wales such as N-Z and N-3 in Figure 4.

Substantially upon' completion of the final course C-17 in the raised ornamental areav 18, a yarn change occurs in the usual manner of knitting, wherein both yarns B and E are knit together and the yarn E is then withdrawn. At substantially this time, the dial needles are returned to action to engage the floats which were formed Vin the Erst course C-7 following the;v tuck course C-6 so that hold stitches T are formed from. both yarns B and E; as

stitchesv in the first course C.-1 of the next true ribv arear 19. arev drawn through the stitchesT. Since both the areas 17 and 19 are identical, the rst and second courses yof each of these areas 17 and 19 bear the same reference characters.

Since the hold stitches T tend to tighten the final course C-S of the true rib or body area 17 toward the rst course C-1 in the next succeeding true rib area 19, it is apparent that this causes the intervening area 18 knit from the bulk yarn E to protrude from the body of the fabric. Itis further apparent that this process is repeated with a group of plurality of courses being formed in alternation from the body yarn B and the effect yarn E with hold stitches immediately following the terminal course in the knitting of each of the raised areas to provide the desired pattern.

The fabric of Figure 5 is typical of one by one rib knit fabric produced according to the present method and such as may be employed in the forming of the cuff portion 10a of the stocking shown in Figure 3. With the exception that the fabric shown in Figure 5 is a one by one rib knit fabric rather than a two by two rib knit fabric, it is knit in substantially the same manner as that described for the fabric section shown in Figure 4. Accordingly, a further detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

As heretofore stated, the yarn E, from which the raised areas or welts are knit in each form of the invention, should preferably be of a type which will slide off the knitting` needles easily, which has a soft bulky texture and which has substantially less contractibility than the body yarn B. It is also important that the effect yarn E does not contract, at least to the extent of the body yarn B, during finishing of the fabric after knitting the same; such as, during washing, bleaching, dyeing and boarding operations.

Best results have been obtained by using so-called Ban- Lon yarn for the effect yarn, in which continuous filament synthetic thermoplastic materials are subjected to a crimping process which imparts a set crimp in each strand with a minimum of twist. Thereafter, two or more such strands are plied together with a minimum of twist. For example, a very satisfactory denier efIect yarn was used in which two nylon strands, previously crimped substantially as set forth in said patents, and having a producers twist of approximately 1/2 turn per inch, were plied together at approximately 3 turns per inch. Z-twist was used, but the twist may be in either direction.

The so-called Saaba yarn has also been used as the effect yarn, although it is somewhat more difficult to control during knitting than the Ban-Lon processed yarn. Saaba yarn is produced by reducing the twist in previously super-twisted synthetic yarns or at least treating synthetic stretch yarns such as Helanca, Fluflon or Superloft yarns, to deaden the same or remove approximately one-half of the stretchability therefrom.

The ornamental appearance of fabrics constructed according to the present invention may be further enhanced by using different colored or textured wrap yarns to form variegated wrap or plated areas of various shapes such as are indicated at 35 in Figure 3. The areas 35 are shown as formed on a plain knit or true rib knit area 36 between two of the novel raised annular areas indicated at 37 in Figure 3. Such variegated areas are usually formed by feeding wrap yarn to cylinder needles only during the knitting of true rib areas or by reverse plating or floating and plating, and the ornamental appearance of such areas may be further enhanced by forming the same and the intervening non-plated coursewise areas in the form of picot or lace stitches or by using a different type or textured body yarn in the courses in which the plated or wrapped areas appear.

In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specic terms are employed, they are used in a genericand descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scopey of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A tubular knit fabric comprising a plurality of walewise spaced annular portions of inwardly facing and outwardly facing wales of relatively highly twisted body yarn, intervening ornamental annular portions between adjacent pairs of said first-mentioned portions, said intervening portions comprising outwardly facing wales only knit of a bulkystretch yarn having substantially less twist therein and a softer hand and feel than the body yarn and being oated coursewise in those wales corresponding to said inwardly facing Wales of the first-mentioned portions, with held loops extending between and connecting said adjacent pairs of the first-mentioned portions, inwardly of the floated portions of bulky yarn.

2. A fabric as claimed in claim 1 wherein the bulky yarn in the ornamental areas is a crimped thermoplastic yarn having a minimum of twist therein.

3. A fabric according to claim 1 in which the yarn in the ornamental areas is a stretch yarn in which the stretch has been deadened.

4. A tubular rib knit fabric having spaced groups of courses knit of relatively hard twisted body yarn wherein each course includes alternating inwardly and outwardly facing stitches, at least one intervening group of courses knit of a bulky stretch yarn having substantially less twist therein, and a softer hand and feel, than the body yarn and wherein each course in the latter group includes stitches corresponding only to said outwardly facing stitches with the bulky yarn being floated course-wise beprising a plurality of courses knit of a bulky stretch yarn having a softer hand and feel than the body yarn, courses in each intervening area including plain stitches in spaced portions of each course with tloats therebetween, and tuck stitches formed, at least, of the stretch yarn and extending between said adjacent pairs of the first-mentioned areas and inwardly of and past said floats.

6. A stocking as claimed in claim 5 wherein the yarn in the ornamental areas is a crimped yarn having a minimum of twist therein.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,002,271 Lombardi May 21, 1935 2,082,779 Buchholz June 8, 1937 2,269,088 Hanisch et al. Ian. 6, 1942 2,349,746 Morris et al. May 23, 1944 2,703,971 Bausher Mar. 15, 1955 2,738,566 Scott Mar. 20, 1956 

